Torres’s opportunities became increasingly limited after Diego Costa returned to the club midway through the season. This term, he’s made just three starts in La Liga, with a further 17 off the bench. It’s yielded a return of just two league goals.

‘For me it is very difficult to say goodbye to this club for the second time, because my head and my idea was to hang up my boots here.

‘But things do not always work out the way you want. I feel very well and I want to continue playing.

‘I do not know if in two, three or five years I’ll look for a different situation.

‘I do not have any team or competition [decided], since we have made the decision not long ago.

‘So now we listen to the proposals and among these proposals we will have to decide.’

Torres with Simeone (Getty)

There have been reports in Spain that Torres doesn’t see eye-to-eye with manager Diego Simeone, however the striker played down any talk of that.

‘My relationship with Simeone is normal, it’s professional,’ he said.

‘I’ve always said that I’m not going to participate in any division with Simeone.

‘There is no problem with the coach, nor with anyone in the club, it’s a decision that is exclusively mine.’